The Bear and the Two Travellers

Two men were travelling together, when a Bear suddenly met them on their path. One of them climbed up quickly into a tree, and concealed himself in the branches. The other, seeing that he must be attacked, fell flat on the ground, and when the Bear came up and felt him with his snout, and smelt him all over, he held his breath, and feigned the appearance of death as much as he could. The Bear soon left him, for it is said he will not touch a dead body. When he was quite gone the other traveller descended from the tree, and accosting his friend, jocularly inquired "what it was the Bear had whispered in his ear?" He replied, "He gave me this advice: Never travel with a friend who deserts you at the approach of danger."

Misfortune tests the sincerity of friends.

From The Bear and the Two Travellers by Aesop, translated by George Fyler Townsend (1867). Public domain.

Check your understanding

1. In the passage, what does the word "feigned" most likely mean?

Faked or pretendedFeared or dreadedFought or attackedFelt or experienced

2. Why did the first traveller ask his friend what the bear whispered "jocularly"?

He was genuinely terrified of the bear.He was trying to make a joke to lighten the mood.He was angry that his friend survived.He wanted to know the bear's secret language.

3. Compare how the two travellers react when the bear suddenly appears. What do their actions reveal about their friendship?

4. The passage concludes with the moral: "Misfortune tests the sincerity of friends." How does the second traveller's final response to his friend demonstrate this lesson? Use evidence from the text.

5. Look at the phrase "concealed himself in the branches." How does the author's use of the word "concealed" help us understand the first traveller's priorities?